Lie and Seek

by draconichero21

On Planet Earth, there are multiple superpowers that oversee the global populace, most prominently are those that follow the Church of Seiros: Adrestia, Faerghus, Leicester, and Britannia. A chance meeting interlocks the fate of Lelouch and Edelgard, unknowingly putting the fate of mankind in their very ambitious hands.

21. Darkness Before Sunset

(A/N: So with a little bit of elbow grease, I have now planned up through the end of the Academy saga for this story. The story will come in 3 different sagas or…phases, Academy, Rebellion and War. I shouldn't give more away than that. But for now, let's continue onward. Apologies for the long wait, I was aboard a boat from June 26th through July 4th. But now I'm back. Let's get it on!)

---

21st Day of the Verdant Rain Moon

Suzaku Kururugi knew that there would always be a lot of people that resented his choice to become a Knight of Seiros. He had gone and joined Japan's would-be conquerors despite having blood ties to the Sumeragis and was the son of the man that had led them into the war. Fortunately, many of those people often didn't get a chance to tell him such to his face. Additionally, the church was…pretty welcoming all things considered. Catherin was a great mentor and despite Suzaku's inexperience, Rhea gave him the time of day as she would any knight.

For Suzaku, however, the decision to join the church came from more than just a desire to change the establishment from within. Sure it had started as only that, but now his feelings on the matter were more complex. In his opinion, linking hands with the church helped calm tensions between the church and the Japanese. It felt like he was helping to bury the past between the church's actions and Japan's defiance. It felt like, through the church's teachings he was telling Rhea "I forgive you."

Between coming off of Catherine's recommendation for the academy directly and Rhea's jovialness at the sight of him, Suzaku felt as if he had made the right decision. Now if only he could get people to understand that. But, most days, he wasn't really interested in the politics behind it. He had a job to do and people to help smile from the day to day. For him, that was enough to keep serving. That was enough to keep wearing the uniform. That was enough to—

"Heads up!"

Thinking quickly, Suzaku looked in the direction of the shout and caught a rubber ball that almost hit him in the head. He then looked at the ball he caught, finding it to be yellow with a Golden Deer Shield coat of arms printed on it.

Claude approached. "Sorry about that. Good reflexes though. Can I have my ball back, officer?" Claude requested.

Suzaku smiled gently. "Sure. Here, Claude." He was courteous to hand Claude the ball right into his hand, instead of lobbing it at him like most would.

"You know, while I've got your attention, Suzaku, I wanted to tell you something," Claude told him.

Yup, figured this conversation was heading there, Suzaku thought, internally rolling his eyes.

"I think you made the right decision, joining the church, I mean," Claude told him.

Suzaku blinked rapidly in confusion. …What?

"Britannia was chomping at the bit to make Japan their territory. Adrestia and Faerghus were all too ready to support Japan's independence. It would've been a pretty blood affair, all things considered. The church only asked for their religion to be recognized under Japanese law. Honestly, considering the alternative, Britannian subjugation, I don't think that was entirely a terrible deal. Of course, Japan being prideful and all, you guys told them you weren't having it, hence forceful subjugation."

"I know all of this, why are you recounting it?" Suzaku asked, confused.

"Because, Suzaku, you are the son of the Prime Minister who dragged his own citizenry into a war they were neither expecting, nor wanted. And by joining the knights, you were essentially telling the church "let's put the past behind us." Granted, I understand Japan's point to. The church is way over the line. It's practically cultural genocide or appropriation depending on how you look at it. But, staying here for this amount of time now, I'm starting to see the benefits to the church of Seiros. Aside from the three wars that established Faerghus, Leicester and Britannia, did you know that there hasn't been a major full-scale war since the Church's founding after the defeat of King Charlemagne? Sure, there have been conflicts, attempted invasions, home soil scuffles and the like, but never wars that crossed international borders. I can't help but think that centralizing the church's religion had something to do with that."

Suzaku couldn't believe his eyes and ears. Someone finally got it! After all this time, someone finally understood Suzaku's point of view.

"Me personally though, I think the church could use a little bit of pruning. Maybe not Rome outright, but there are plenty of sects in Leicester I could see having the people in power kicked in the back of the head by a horse," Claude said.

"Claude, Rome is the central church, if you want to file a formal request to have an investigation launched, I'd be happy to send a squadron to look into it," Suzaku said.

"See, I knew you were a reasonable man. I could tell just by looking at you. I think I'll take you up on that offer." Claude handed Suzaku a piece of paper rolled in a rubber band. "Here's my list. Lemme know how it turns out."

Suzaku bowed to Claude. "It'll get done." Finally, he could do something for the people of one of the superpowers. In that moment, Suzaku truly felt like he'd made the right decision to become a Knight of Seiros.

---

22nd Day of the Verdant Rain Moon

Euphemia and Dimitri walked through the Roman market back to Garreg Mach, Euphemia giggling at an old story Dimitri had just finished telling her of his youth. The young prince was holding an armful of groceries he'd helped Euphemia shop for. She was so used to having everything spoon fed to her back in Britannia, she lacked the knowledge of basic grocery shopping and what made a good deal. While Dimitri himself was quite inexperienced at such things, he'd visited markets with his father and even done a little shopping with Dedue during his time here at Rome.

"Ah, but I don't mean to monopolize the conversation, what about a story from your youth, Euphemia?" Dimitri asked.

Euphemia put a finger to her cheek, thinking about it. "Well, I do have one story. It was a few years ago," Euphemia thought, chuckling as she thought of it. "Saint Seiros Day is considered a holiday of love and romance back in Britannia. I know it's not the same as other nations, so I'm not sure when it started. But either way, one year, my sister wanted to do something nice for our big brother, Schneizel, and tried cooking him brownies. My sister didn't do a lot of cooking for herself, even when she was at Garreg Mach. So, the brownies came out looking like charcoal."

Dimitri grunted, picturing the straightlaced Cornelia taking burnt brownies out of an oven.

"My sister was so mortified we ended up just buying a cake to show that he had sisters who cared and didn't want to see him overwork himself. When we arrived though, our older sister, Guinevere, the crown princess was also arriving with a store bought cake. As it turns out, Cornelia wasn't the only member of our family to think of brownies and burn them."

Dimitri stifled laughter, lest he drop the groceries. "Is your sister still that bad at cooking?"

Euphemia laughed. "Unfortunately, but we have servants for that. Her knight, Guilford, boils and heats all of the food they need to eat while they're out in the field."

Dimitri laughed. "In Faerghus, if you're a woman who can't cook, you're seen as less valuable as a spouse. Personally, I think the idea is outdated. A man can cook just as ably as a woman. When I was little my mentor, Gustave, after a long day of training Felix, Sylvain and myself, used to cook us an entire three course meal out in the mountain air. Beans. Roast pork. Steamed carrots, the works."

"That sounds delicious," Euphemia said, salivating.

"Annette has learned much from her father. Good food runs in the family, or so she claims. That hasn't stopped her from being absent minded in the kitchen, unfortunately."

"Oh! So that explosion the other day was…"

Dimitri chuckled. "Yup, you guessed it. That's our Annette."

Euphemia laughed. "Maybe I'll ask Annette to teach me a thing or two. My sister is working very hard to find me a proper knight, but if I'm ever to be more than just Princess Eupehmia, learning to fend for myself seems like a proper, logical step."

Dimitri chuckled. "I would like to try your dishes one day, if only to see if you can surpass burnt brownies."

Euphemia laughed harder. "I would love to let you try my cooking one day, after some practice, Dimitri. What's your favorite dish?"

"You know, I'll have to think on that. Maybe we can revisit this conversation when you've learned a thing or two about preparing meals," He suggested.

"Then think quickly, because I'm going to learn to be, if not a master chef, then at least a competent one, before the Battle of the Eagle and Lion," Euphemia told him.

Dimitri smiled. "Well, do your best."

---

23rd Day of the Verdant Rain Moon

There were two primary goals Rolo and Clara had laid out for him. The first one was simply to spy on Edelgard and make sure she wasn't making any overt moves against Lord Arundel and those allied with him. The second was to check for weak points or otherwise faults within Rome itself, to determine the best point of entry for an invasion.

While neither was not allowed to venture far from the Monastery without express permission, the marketplace and surrounding towns were easy enough to reach. Unfortunately, this offered little in the ability to determine which edge of Rome would be the best to strike from. So, Rolo did the next best thing, he spied on the markets, checking the prices of goods and services and quantity and what people were buying. If he couldn't send a weakness report, he'd send a supply and demand report. That, he felt, would make him very useful to his adoptive father and uncle.

While he was conducting this survey, he was called out to by a familiar voice. "Ah! Rolo! I did not expect to see you in the market at this hour!" It was Ferdinand, as prideful and full of energy as always.

"Oh, good day, Ferdinand," Rolo said with an easily forced smile. "It's not that strange, is it? It's peak market traffic."

"Well yes, hence why I didn't expect to see you. Someone of your size could easily get trampled upon," Ferdinand warned.

"Oh, I'm not buying anything, just making an observational report for Lord Arundel." It didn't matter if people knew about Rolo's survey. He was allowed. It's not like anyone would be able to discern the ulterior motive behind it.

"Is that a pricing report for Rome's nearby markets? I am amazed at such drive for something so often overlooked," Ferdinand said with cheer. "No! This cannot stand! I cannot be outshined in a category I didn't even think of! Rolo, let us work together! Both Lord Arundel and my father will be swimming in market reports!"

Uh oh, Rolo found himself thinking. This was typical of Ferdinand. In his drive to be the best he could be, the man would often lose himself in the strangest of affairs that would be unbecoming of someone due to be a superpower's Prime Minister. And Ferdinand had a bad habit of either overestimating himself, or overdoing whatever he put his mind to.

"Are you sure about this?" Rolo asked. "I mean, when you become Prime Minister, wouldn't you have members of the help to do these sorts of surveys."

"All the more reason I should try my hand at them now while I have the chance," Ferdinand declared. "After all, if I do not involve myself in lesser affairs, how can I trust the men and women under my supervision that they are doing it correctly?"

"Well…I suppose that's true," Rolo stated.

"Excellent, then I shall here no more objections." Ferdinand took out his tablet and opened spreadsheet generating software on it. "I shall go west and you can go east and we can compare notes when we're done. It will take us half the time and we can return to the Monastery well in-time for a hearty dinner."

Rolo nodded. However, before the two split up, Rolo said to Ferdinand, "Ferdinand, why do you try so hard? Your status of Prime Minister is all but guaranteed. You have no siblings, no competitors and Duke Aegir, while not loved by the people, has respect enough for his station that the lesser nobles near his territory wouldn't try to stage a coup against Aegir territory before or after you take charge."

"But that is just it, Rolo. It's precisely because I lack the usual reasons of most nobles that I must be at my best. I, Ferdinand von Aegir, intend to lead by example and be the shining standard for all nobles around me. That's what I've decided!"

I can't tell if he's actually this naïve or is just covering for insecurities. Both, maybe? Rolo thought. Still, this did play into his persona. If Ferdinand was willing to cooperate with him, it would reflect well on Rolo's ability to blend in. "All right, Ferdinand. You win. Here," Rolo said, and forwarded Ferdinand his list through their electronic student tablets.

"Oh! Incredible! I am amazed at the diligence of your work, Rolo! Yes, indeed! When Edelgard becomes Emperor, I could make you my accountant if you keep this up!"

"Oh! No. That's really not necessary," Rolo excused.

"But I insist!" Ferdinand exclaimed. "It is only natural for House Aegir to treat its allies with respect and that a third party audit my coffers so that I can not be viewed as corrupt."

…I take it back. This man is dumb, Rolo thought.

"Now then, onward! Let us complete this report! There are only so many daylight hours!" Ferdinand declared.

…I wonder if Lord Arundel would mind if he went missing, Rolo thought, six feet under a lake.

---

24th Day of the Verdant Rain Moon

Among the students at Garreg Mach, Lelouch stood out as being among the most meticulous. Most of these antics were in the interest of Nunnally's care. Outside their sibling relationship, Lelouch cynically treated the world as if nobody owed them anything. This often led to Lelouch taking kitchen duty to ensure that Nunnally's meals were full of the right amount of nutrition. He also frequently tidied up Nunnally's room since she couldn't see the mess she would make sometimes. He also insisted on doing their laundry himself, rather than having the staff take care of it, even if laundry services were included in tuition. He also found himself removing pebbles and small rocks from the paths of the monastery on the off chance Nunnally's wheelchair could uncomfortably roll over them. While physical labor was not Lelouch's forte—breaks were often needed—he did what he could to ensure his sister's happiness.

However, this meticulous behavior often drew him into clash with Cyril, the groundskeeper, who took his job very seriously. Cyril, a short, 14-year-old orphan from Almyra, whose wardrobe consisted only of donated clothing, felt that all of Lelouch's acts muscled in on his turf on occasion, and he was all too willing to call Lelouch out on it.

"Lelouch, for the hundredth time, you don't need to inspect supply crates of dangerous objects or animals. That's my job," Cyril said, exasperated.

"You can never be too careful," Lelouch said, sliding the lid back over.

"You know I have to check it anyway, even after you look, mostly because I can't take the risk the contents weren't contaminated," Cyril told him.

If there is one thing I respect about you Cyril, it's your unwavering devotion, Lelouch found himself thinking.

"Look, I get that you're doing it all for your sister, which is why I don't report what you're doing to Lady Rhea, but it really does get on my nerves," Cyril told him bluntly.

"And it gets on my nerves that the archbishop left groundskeeping in the hands of a small child," Lelouch told him. "What was happening before you had the job, nothing?"

"I volunteered to take this job, actually," Cyril said, sounding a bit agitated, but also prideful in his declaration. "I was just another refugee when I first came to the monastery. I kept asking how I could help. Eventually this just fell in my lap."

Lelouch looked quizzically at Cyril. This kid liked working himself to the bone for barely any pay? Lelouch already knew the living wages of the knights. Suzaku made about 60,000 Roman credits after taxes and other expenses and special forces like Shamir made 75,000. Catherine, as the head of the entire force, made six figures. Seteth made more than that.

"You clearly have no ambitions for a paycheck," Lelouch stated.

"Actually, that's not true," Cyril said, not angrily, but in an informative tone. "I want to be a knight so Shamir is teaching me off to the side. I'm from Almyra so I don't belong to any of the houses. I've asked Seteth, but unless a noble or a family with influence pays my tuition, it's impossible for me to attend as a student."

So that's why Clovis had to foot the bill for Shez's tuition, Lelouch thought.

"Since I'm an orphan with no connections, it's not possible for me to have that option. So, I'm trying to become a knight a different way. Shamir said she'd recommend me if I do good enough work. Suzaku's been helping me too. He's someone I try to emulate," Cyril stated.

Somehow, that does not surprise me in the slightest, Lelouch thought, very nearly rolling his eyes.

"I'm no good at magic, but I know how to hunt and chop wood, so I'm pretty handy with a rifle and an axe," Cyril said. "Shamir lets me practice on the training ground too with her permission. I have my own ID, so even though I'm not a student, I can still record my results."

This intrigued Lelouch. "And how good are you, exactly?"

"Well, it's nothing to brag about, but I could probably hold my own in a real fight. At least that's what Shamir says," Cyril said.

Given what I know about Shamir, her definition of 'holding your own' means she probably thinks this kid could fight in a full-scale battle and walk away alive with all his limbs intact. Impressive, given his youth. And here I thought he was just a runt with a garden hoe, Lelouch remarked to himself. Cyril doesn't have any documentation and since he has no connections, people don't talk about him so it's impossible to learn more about him without hearing it directly from him. People like this would always fly under Lelouch's radar. The exiled prince was now realizing that Cyril could be a potential threat when he finally bared his fangs at the monastery. Not a huge one, but still a soldier with a name he could attach a face to. And, given his connections to Shamir and now Suzaku, this also meant Lelouch had to take greater care in staying on the kid's good side…for now.

"Perhaps instead of getting in each other's way, we could…help each other out," Lelouch suggested.

"I'm listening," Cyril said, earnestly.

Lelouch took out his tablet. "If I forward you some things I'm looking for or keeping an eye out for, could you report in to me if or when you find out about them? Consider it a personal request."

"I…can't read…or write…or type," Cyril said. "I…never learned how. I can barely sound out words."

"You speak fluently enough," Lelouch told him.

"I've been at the Monastery for a real long time," Cyril told Lelouch. "You pick up how to talk just by being around people. But reading and writing…" he shook his head. "That's a no go."

"I see. That's a shame," Lelouch said. He then paused before adding, "Would you like to learn?"

Cyril seemed shocked by the offer.

"Teaching others is a good way to review the basics. I know you're a bit old to be learning a lot of things first graders take for granted, but I wouldn't mind teaching you. It's not like I don't have boundless amounts of spare time," Lelouch told him.

"How with all the pebbles you pick up?" Cyril asked, taking a jab at him.

"I make time," Lelouch responded.

"Sounds like we have a bit more in common than I realized. All right, Lelouch, I accept your offer. If you teach me to read and write, and stop rifling through supplies without permission, I'll gladly look into stuff for you if you need it, within reason of course," Cyril stated.

"Don't worry," Lelouch said with a smirk. "I'm not going to ask you to rifle through the archbishop's underwear drawer or something like that."

"Why would you even need me to go through her drawer in such a manner?" Cyril asked.

Lelouch paused both mentally and physically. The fact that the greater implications of his crass joke were lost on Cyril, despite the kid's pubescent age and clear adoration for Rhea, left him, for once in his life, completely speechless. "Never you mind that. Come, the library awaits," Lelouch said and beckoned his new student to the best place in any school to learn off hours.

---

25th Day of the Verdant Rain Moon

"He-hey! Leonhardt! What's up, my man?" Sylvain asked, approaching the member of the Glinda Knights.

Leonhardt turned to see his fellow redhead approaching. "Ah, Sylvain. How may I, as a humble knight, be of assistance."

"Eh, cut it with all the formal crap, Leon, we're buds now, aren't we?" Sylvain asked.

Leonhardt laughed a little. "I suppose school does bring people closer together, especially this school. The boundaries between noble and commoner tend to just collapse when you work together on a project or share a meal."

"Right? Right?! Glad to be around someone who gets it," Sylvain said with a big grin. "Especially the ladies, am I right?"

"Oh, without a doubt!" Leonhardt said, steam projecting from his nostrils. "The bountiful harvests at Garreg Mach are very near limitless!"

"Who's got your attention?" Sylvain asked.

"Oh, there are so many! I cannot pick just one! There's Lady Hilda, and Princess Edelgard! And Dorothea herself is quite lovely indeed!" Leonhardt exclaimed, fist balled, libido riled up. He then, however, reined himself in. "Of course, I have a fiancée, so I am unable to make pursuance of any woman of my fancy."

"Eh, screw that," Sylvain said, putting his hands up behind his head. "It's a political marriage, right? Not like you can't enjoy your youth and freedom while you've got it, right?"

Leonhardt beamed. "Sylvain, you are a many wise beyond my years!"

"Heh, only by one year, but I get you," Sylvain said and put his arm around Leonhardt, landing his hand upon the younger man's opposite shoulder. He then spread his palm to the sky. "Just picture it, Leonhardt. A whole monastery of women to date and so little time to do it."

"Well, what are we waiting for, let's find ourselves a date and—"

"And what, Leonhardt?"

Leonhardt wasn't the only person who was now sweatier than shirtless man on a hot day. Sylvain was looking mighty pale too.

Ingrid and Marika had just come around the corner and both of them looked mighty angry.

"Sylvain, shame on you!" Ingrid exclaimed.

"Leon, I know I can't expect much from you, but I still expect better from you!" Marika exclaimed. She then ran off, looking upset.

"Wait, Marika, no! I can explain!" Leonhardt exclaimed before stumbling and then sprinting after her.

Ingrid marched up to Sylvain. If looks could kill, daggers would be launching from her eyes. "And you, it's bad enough I have to clean up your messes, but don't go dragging other people down to your level!"

"Ingrid, wait, this is all a big misunderstanding," Sylvain said, looking and feeling guilty.

"Oh, a big misunderstanding is it? And how would you like to explain that to Milly the next time I see her?" Ingrid asked.

"Milly and I are…you know…just friends. It's nothing serious," Sylvain said.

"Sylvain, his highness lives next door to you. We know she sleeps over," Ingrid said crossly. "Felix may have switched houses, but just houses, not rooms."

"I…uh…" Sylvain stuttered.

"I really thought I knew you better than this, but once again you prove that my evaluation of you is higher than it deserves to be," Ingrid uttered contemptuously.

Sylvain stood there speechless, not really knowing what to do or to say. "So…what, are you saying I should break it off with Milly?" Sylvain asked.

Ingrid never had more desire to strangle Sylvain until he turned as blue as their country's flag than this very moment. "Maybe instead of asking that question, you should take a long, hard look in the mirror and at your bed and the memory of who besides you has been in it, and decide if you're going to grow up or not." Ingrid then stormed away, leaving Sylvain standing alone, unable to do little else but sigh.

Ingrid really let him have it this time. At the end of the day, he knew they were still friends. A little fight like this wasn't going to change years of childhood bonding. However, Sylvain knew Ingrid's temper and this was just shy of grabbing a weapon and swinging it at someone's face. He groaned, scratching at his hair. Mily…was just a means to an end, right? Just…part of his reckless debauchery, right?

And yet, the more he seemed to ask himself that question, the less sure he sounded of his answer.

---

26th Day of the Verdant Rain Moon

To say that Bernadetta von Varley had adjusted to life at Garreg Mach was not being entirely truthful. Sure, she'd calmed down a lot since she'd first been unwrapped from the burlap sack her mother's servants had dumped her in. Upon fleeing at first sight from being found, members of the monastery actually had to pry her out of a corner where she was shivering and holding a sewing needle, screeching. Bernadetta now recalled, in embarrassment, how both Edelgard and Rhea herself had to gently talk her down before she passed out from sheer fear from being graced with Rhea's divine presence.

In hindsight, she probably made Rhea feel really bad. She didn't seem scary on the surface, especially when she was trying to be helpful. But, that was Bernadetta for you, the shy, meek mouse who had all the spine of a jellyfish. In the moons that had followed, she'd at least gotten accustomed to her surroundings. She knew where to eat, where to be when, and who to avoid. However, things like jumping at shadows and being intellectually uncharitable to the point of running scared from nothing hadn't changed one iota. The good news was, at least, that she didn't have to face many of her fears alone anymore.

First and foremost, after a scary, almost serial killer-like altercation with Clara, Bernadetta found no one else more reliable. Alois was also the one person in the entire Knights of Seiros, Bernadetta wasn't the least bit afraid of, mostly because he reminded her of her favorite family member that passed away some time ago: her uncle. Then there was Leonie, who relied on Bernadetta to patch up some of her clothes when they got torn or ripped due to intense training. While Bernadetta had varying degrees of fear spread inconsistently across even the friendliest of faces at the Monastery, there was one person, she knew was completely harmless…to a point.

While watering the flower garden—it was her turn for greenhouse duty—Bernadetta happened across some of the vegetable plants, especially the tomatoes, that the Golden Deer were growing. Bernadetta watched a girl scoot forward with a watering can in one hand, feeling the leaves of the tomato plant with the other. Then with an "aha" kind of reaction she moved her hand down to the ceramic pot the plant sat in and felt the soil. She then tapped the watering can to the pot, hearing a nice "thunk" and then poured slightly.

"Oh! Do you need a hand with that, Nunnally?" Bernadetta asked with a kind smile and even kinder voice.

Nunnally's face lit up. "Oh! Miss Bernadetta! Yes! Could you? I hope I'm not being too much of a burden."

"Nonsense," Bernadetta responded with a silent chuckle. "I'm always willing to help you out. Here, lemme see that a sec." She was referring to the watering can. "What needs watering?"

"Claude said that the tomatoes and the flowers needed it the most, but I got the flowers my house is growing already," Nunnally said. "I was just having trouble finding the tomatoes."

Bernadetta smiled. "I'm really impressed how you can find your way around this complicated place by yourself."

"Oh, it was really hard at first, but big brother and Miss Shez helped me. I can almost wander the entire monastery by myself, you know. Uncle Jeralt helped me develop greater spatial awareness using my ears and sense of touch. Plus, I always know that if I make it to the training ground, I can use my HLKMF to see and reorient myself," Nunnally said with a smile.

Bernadetta gave a tired smile. "I'm…kind of envious. Life took away your sight and your legs, yet you're out here making the most of it." She frowned, staring at the floor. "Yet here I am making excuses for not even wanting to so much as leave my room. I'd be super petrified if I couldn't see and still had to go to class."

"I'm not going to let being scared keep me from living," Nunnally stated, causing Bernadetta to pick her head up. Nunnally's smile had faded and she was now talking seriously. "Sure, I wish I could see your face all the time, Bernadetta, or even walk like everyone else. But…it's because I'm so helpless by default…that I want to learn to not be helpless."

"Do you think you could teach me?" Bernadetta asked, timidly.

"Huh?" Nunnally uttered, confused.

Bernadetta bowed, even knowing Nunnally couldn't see her do so. "Please! I want to be strong of will like you, Nunnally. As I am now, I'll never be able to get over my fear of…well…everything!"

"It's not really something that can be taught," Nunnally said. "It's a change that has to come from within. At least…that's what Uncle Jeralt said. You just have to find your inner resolve and charge forward."

"Inner…resolve?" Bernadetta held her hands by her cheeks, rather confused. "I don't really get it."

"I didn't really at first either, but sometimes it just requires being a little braver than the day you were before." Nunnally tried so hard then to make her voice sound deep and gravely like Jeralt's, failing miserably. "You don't have to learn how to climb a mountain by throwing yourself off a cliff." Her voice returned to normal. "Or something like that?"

"Throw myself off a cliff?!" Bernadetta exclaimed, failing to recognize the nuance.

"Um, I think it's more like the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step," Nunnally said. "You know, something like that. You can't run a marathon if you can't even sprint, right?"

"Well, that's true," Bernadetta admitted. "Well then…okay! I'm gonna do it! I'm gonna start putting in the work to not be a hopeless recluse!"

"That's the spirit! I believe in you, Bernadetta," Nunnally said with a smile, tenting her fingers.

Bernadetta giggled. "Thanks, Nunnally. I'm glad you do. And thanks for being my friend."

---

27th Day of the Verdant Rain Moon

For the Black Eagles, boarding their flight to Conrad Tower was far more eventful than the flight actually getting there. Bernadetta complained about having to go even with gentle prodding from Clara and harsher prodding from Edelgard. Ferdinand didn't want to take off until he had properly checked that the Wyvern passenger jet was ready to take off four times. Caspar kept running back to his room for last minute things like food and water bottles. And then Linhardt had to, in the end, be carried by Ferdinand and Caspar into the aircraft for take off because he was fast asleep on the ground and wasn't waking up.

All of this was of no bother to Lelouch, despite how irritating it was to Monica and Hubert. Edelgard just kept shaking her head. As for Gilbert, the church liaison, he had raised a daughter and mentored three noble young boys into disciplined soldiers. Compared to that headache, this was minor.

On the flight over, Bernadetta wasted no time sealing herself inside a private bunk room. Nobody bothered to try and stop her. They'd get her out after the craft landed. Clara actually stood guard in front of it so that nobody disturbed Bernadetta's defensive perimeter.

Chuckling to herself as she passed by Lelouch reclining with his feet up in the communal lounge, reading a book, Dorothea called out to him. "Clara and Bernadetta are really getting along, aren't they?"

"It's self-serving in Clara's case," Lelouch said.

"Self-serving? You think so?" Dorothea asked, confused. "They look like friends to me."

"Looks can be deceiving. We both learned that lesson well growing up. Clara and Rolo both hide their true nature." There was a certain degree of honesty Lelouch could afford to take with Dorothea now that he'd seen past her own façade. Sure, the friendliness was genuine, but he knew what lay beneath.

"Rolly too?" Dorothea was surprised by this.

Lelouch didn't even look up from his book. "I don't know where they came from, but they're no ordinary commoners and they didn't just join the academy because they simply fell in love with it being here a month. Lord Arundel is up to something."

At this, Edelgard passed by. "That's an awfully big accusation to lob at a public figure."

Only now did Lelouch gaze up from his book. "Do you deny it?" he questioned.

"I didn't say that," Edelgard commented in response. She took a few steps forward. Dorothea took a step or two back, feeling like she was somehow in the way. Still, she was still in vision and hearing distance of both.

"We'll be approaching our destination soon," she told Lelouch. "What are you reading this time?"

Lelouch showed her the spine. "A book on Faerghusian tactics. I'm currently reading the chapter that discusses how to take down a gargantuan war machine or wild beast on foot. I borrowed it from Dimitri. Man's took gentle for his own good. All I said was I fancied myself a brilliant tactician and he practically shoved it into my arms."

Edelgard guffawed briefly. "Honestly, a man like him as king will make him beloved by the citizenry, but only open him up to a knife in his back."

"The worst of his demeanor is that while he has Dedue watching his back, Dedue is ill-equipped to advise him against threats concealing their true objective, or guide him in tactical pursuits. And even as far as tacticians go, Rodrigue doesn't reach the level of genius that others in other superpowers possess. You're lucky you have Hubert."

Edelgard scoffed in offense. "Are you implying I'm naïve?"

Lelouch gazed her over. "As a matter of fact, yes, I am indeed."

Edelgard glared, swinging her arm out in defiance. "Oh, I see. So it appears you have chosen violence today. Name your battlefield."

"The usual," Lelouch responded.

Edelgard immediately took out her tablet and fired up a game of chess, inviting Lelouch as her opponent.

Dorothea, wisely, stepped out of the lounge. She smiled as she left. Lelouch and Edie really have a special relationship I feel like I can't compete with sometimes. Edie should be careful though. Boys like that know how to bite… she clutched at the buttons on her chest. …and break your heart.

---

Holy Kingdom of Faerghus

Conrad Tower

1pm

Due to inclement weather, the roman aircraft taken to get to Conrad Tower had to land in an area surrounded by far less trees due to all the blowing wind. While it didn't seem like a hurricane was whipping up, dark clouds still loomed overhead.

"Bad weather is commonplace in this area," Lelouch stated. He and the others were standing in disposable ponchos, the tower barely a blip on the horizon. "I suppose that's why they call Conrad Tower the Tower of Black Winds."

"That's an…ominous sounding name," Dorothea commented.

"I believe it's because the tower is so tall, from a distance, during bad weather, it almost appears as if storm clouds are emitting from the top, like smoke," Rolo explained.

"We have to ascend all of that?" Linhardt asked. He yawned. "I'll just take a nap outside then."

Dorothea looked dismayed. "Lin, you're supposed to be the frontline medic, remember?"

"Yes, but all that walking will make me quite ineffectual. Isn't there an elevator?" He questioned.

"This tower is very old," Hubert pointed out. "It's almost considered a historic sight. While renovations have been enacted to keep it from falling apart, it hasn't been upgraded with any…modern conveniences, like plumbing. It's astounding that Miklan Gautier held onto the area for so long."

"Indeed, clearly he is no ordinary rebel leader," Monica stated.

"We should be careful all the same. Remember, he's carrying a hero's relic," Edelgard reminded everyone. "Let's try not to be reckless."

"We've been practicing drills all month in preparation as best we can," Lelouch reminded everyone. "Stick to the plan and follow my lead, and everything will go smoothly. If something happens to me, or I'm too far away, listen to Monica."

"Far away?" Ferdinand asked. "What about wireless communication?"

"This tower is far enough away from civilization that wireless signals can get lost easily. There's no satellite or local tower to bounce them off of. Couple that with the storm and it's easy to see how this could immediately turn sour," Hubert pointed out.

"I don't want to wait any longer," Caspar declared. "I say let me at 'em!"

"Patience," Hubert urged. "It's almost a given that the enemy saw or heard our approach. As we discussed, we will wait approximately twenty minutes to circle the area and then attack from an unguarded side of the Tower."

"Stay close and don't wander off," Edelgard said like a chaperone giving instruction to small children. "Remain vigilant. This is a large scale offensive for the Black Eagle house. All the pieces on the board are important."

"And you the most important of all, Lady Edelgard," Hubert told her. "Do not do anything reckless."

A clap of thunder roared overhead.

"Sounds like this really will be a storm and not just a moderate drizzle," Ferdinand commented.

"This way then," Lelouch said. "The storm will mask our approach. Let's go."

And indeed, this was an exact truth. Upon sneaking up on the enemy, Petra's swift, fleet feet helped her get the jump on the guards and stab them in the neck.

"We are having security," she said, pumping her fist.

"Good, let's get inside. There's bound to be more guards before we reach Miklan, presumably on the top floor," Lelouch instructed.

"In the name of Adrestia and the Black Eagle House, let us strike them down!" Edelgard declared. "To arms!" She then charged right in.

"I concur! To arms!" Ferdinand declared, following in after her.

"I suppose we should be thankful that the tower has a linear design," Hubert remarked, noting that they'd now lost the element of surprise.

And indeed, the group began fighting their way to the top in a hectic onslaught of bloodshed and bodies. Edelgard led the charge with Caspar and Ferdinand covering her flanks. Hubert and Monica brought up the rear of the vanguard as the rest of the Black Eagles conserved their strength. This allowed Lelouch to survey the situation and make any needed changes to the situation.

Fortunately, until the group reached the top floor, as Lelouch and Monica had predicted, the path was very linear. Miklan had apparently saved his best men for the top floor. The ones Lelouch and the others were fighting right now were falling over like dominoes. Either that or they had severely underestimated themselves.

Edelgard is quite strong, Lelouch thought. Her Crest of Seiros must be a stage three. She hardly flinches in battle and she has a steeled disposition. She is, without question, fit to be a ruler.

Lelouch noticed Edelgard pause to command Ferdinand, Hubert, Caspar and Monica to adapt to combat on the fly. Even as the unexpected occurred, she had complete control of the situation. Granted, they had all done their research ahead of time, but even so, there were a lot more rebels here than they had anticipated. And, suddenly, more started pouring in from empty rooms on some of the higher floors.

"Rear guard! Call to action!" Lelouch shouted.

Rolo took out his rifle. "Rear guard taking action!" He began ruthlessly gunning down an enemy unfortunate enough to get downrange of the muzzle of his rifle.

"Lelouch! Dorothea! Be watching my sixth!"

"It's watch my six, but will do!" Dorothea exclaimed. She and Lelouch began covering Petra as she zipped around the battlefield, slicing necks and downing rogues.

Clara then noticed something on her radar app. "Incoming HLKMFs!"

"Caspar! Petra! You know what to do! Bernadetta! To the front with me!"

"Eep! Why now?!" Bernadetta exclaimed.

"Come on, Bernie! Cousin Edel needs us!" Clara declared.

Following behind Clara, Bernadetta clutched her rifle running forward as Caspar ran past her. Caspar then began to activate his HLKMF crystal. A chance took hold of him as his suit was obsidian shaded brown and had flame patterned, glowing ringlets on the wrists and ankles. A fiery inferno was painting over the chest and flames in the shape of horns rocketed out of the side of his helmet and above the eye sockets. Claws protruded from the very thick gauntlets of the frame and it seemed well armored, but lightweight enough for decent speed overall. Codename: Inferno of Justice.

"RRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAGH!" Caspar roared and charged forward, taking out incoming enemy Faerghusian hard light frames in a single impact of his thick claws. They were then either gunned down by Rolo or finished off by Petra.

Petra herself was sliding around the battlefield using a design of her HLKMF. Its bright pink design may have seemed ill-suited for stealth, but it could turn invisible. The sleek frame optimized speed over anything else, using a special ability in the boots that Petra had crafted, allowing her to propel along the ground without necessarily having to move her leg muscles. The design seemed to resemble a futuristic armored leather bounty hunter suit with armored pieces in vital areas like the chest, forearms and shins and, more importantly, a helmet. Of course, Petra's ponytail was still visible through the back of the helmet's design. Despite the optimization on speed, Petra appeared to not only use an energy sword, but an axe as well. This was Petra's idea of using her Brigid hunting heritage to influence her HLKMF. The codename, when translated from native Brigid to Seirosian language, read "Hard Light Huntress".

"YOU WILL BE SLAPPED DOWN!"

Critical Strike!

Between Petra's speed and Caspar's might, the enemy was quickly getting overwhelmed. Grown ass men trained their entire lives and they were being obliterated by a screaming gremlin and a teenage girl with a speech impediment. Lelouch couldn't help but note the irony.

Nothing beats the wealth of age and experience, hmm, Jeralt? He found himself thinking.

He turned his attention away from Petra and Caspar towards Gilbert who was staying in center of formation just like Lelouch. "It's unfortunate Professor Jeritza had a last-minute obligation in Hrymn territory," Gilbert remarked. "But you youngins appear to be doing fine. I hardly need to lift a finger to offer my assistance."

Lelouch hurled a spell over Gilbert's shoulder at an oncoming enemy. "That's no reason to go slacking off."

Gilbert smiled. "You remind me a lot of Prince Dimitri when he was younger."

Lelouch did a double take. How did this pious man of the church know Prince Dimitri as a child?

Gilbert realized what he said and then tried to walk it back. "Ah, my apologies. I've said too much."

Everyone must have their secrets. That was a philosophy that Lelouch maintained. If he started asking questions, he may inadvertently open himself up to questions in turn. That was when Lelouch noticed that as he and his allies progressed up the stairs, he and Gilbert appeared to be alone. The thought of using Geass on the man for instant gratification or to sabotage the church down the line crossed his mind. This idea was quickly dashed.

"All forces for the next floor! We're almost to the top!" Edelgard shouted from down the hall.

It'll have to wait, I suppose, Lelouch thought.

He and Dorothea jogged side by side with Gilbert as Caspar and Petra continued to cover the rear flank with Rolo.

"Will those three be all right by themselves?" Gilbert wondered.

"Who? Rolly, Petra and Caspar?" Dorothea asked with a big grin. "They'll be fine."

"I concur. Caspar might be stupid, but Rolo compensates for that. Rolo might not be very mobile, being the long-range sniper, but Petra's speed covers for that. And what Petra lacks in power, Caspar makes up for. As a trio, with what we've seen up to now, they should be invincible," Lelouch stated.

As he said this, the three went back-to-back. "Rolo, will you not be activating your HLKMF?" Petra asked.

Rolo loaded his rifle with its next cartridge. "It's not strictly necessary at the moment. I would rather save it until the two of you run out of energy. You know, just in case we need to evacuate."

"Haha! I like you, Rolo! You're actually pretty smart," Caspar said.

Rolo sighed. Even a grade schooler would recognize that tactic, you idiot.

"Then Caspar and I shall be vacuuming up the enemy, as they say," Petra said with cheer, clutching her energy sword.

"It's…mopping up the enemy, Petra," Caspar remarked, sighing. "But…that doesn't matter! YEAAAAAAAAAAHHH! LET'S KICK SOME TERRORIST BUTT! COME ON! I'LL TAKE ON ALL OF YOU AT ONCE!"

"KREEEEYAAAAAAAAAAH!" Petra shouted, letting out a traditional Brigid war cry.

They're both…so loud, Rolo thought. He watched them fight, taking out any enemies that were in his line of sight that neither Petra nor Caspar were paying attention to. Still, they're good fighters. A bit dim, but strong and fast, especially the latter for Petra. Still, as long as Brigid remains a vassal state of the Empire, I doubt Lord Arundel will need to make an enemy of her. Caspar on the other hand, despite his strength is marred by his own recklessness. A sniper nest could easily take him out.

Rolo smirked. But…I really hope it wouldn't come to that. His heart pounded as his palms grew sweaty. I was put here by VV and by Lord Arundel.

Bang!

But the Black Eagles are my friends!

Bang!

My home!

Bang!

And I want to stay!

Despite his internal monologue, Rolo was now slipping from outwardly friendly youth into cold-blooded assassin. With a glare, he simply loaded his rifle and declared calmly, "Time's up."

Critical strike!

"YE-HEAH! Nice shot, Rolo! You blew that guy off his feet!" Caspar exclaimed, laughing.

"Be paying closer attention to the battlefield," Petra told him. "This fight is, how you say, upping in temperature."

"You mean heating up, but I agree!" Caspar exclaimed and bent his knees, holding his arms out like he was a wrestler ready to grapple someone—which wasn't far from the truth. "All right! Who's next?!"

---

As Petra, Caspar and Rolo continued to mow down Miklan's fodder, the rest of the Black Eagles were making their way to the top.

"Thoron!" Dorothea shouted, taking out a sniper from the top floor.

"Eek!" Bernadetta shrieked, shooting another guy right in the chest. Everyone watched him fall over, break his already dead neck on the staircase railing and then go tumbling down to the first floor. Bernadetta whined. "I'm going to have nightmares for weeks!"

"If we don't kill the enemy, you'll have more to worry about than nightmares!" Hubert shouted. "Keep picking off the opposing forces on the uppermost floor."

"We've got it covered, Hubie! You, Edie, Lulu, Ferdie and Gilbert all keep going!" Dorothea told him, firing off another Thoron.

"Then let us make haste for the top floor," Gilbert stated.

With Bernadetta, Clara and Dorothea now left behind, only Edelgard, Hubert, Linhardt, Monica, Ferdinand, Lelouch and Gilbert proceeded onward.

Linhardt panted. "I am going to need to sleep all day tomorrow to regain the energy I've lost walking up all these stairs."

"I know exactly how you feel," Lelouch told him, rolling his eyes. "Until Jeralt put me through rigorous training, I wasn't exactly in the best of shape myself. Wasn't falling asleep everywhere, but there were days that Nunnally could outpace me with her wheelchair."

Linhardt could not help but laugh at that mental image.

Hubert chuckled, also finding it funny. "As amusing as that image is to imagine, we should be setting aside anecdotes and focusing our attention on what's around us."

"Monica, can you create the path forward?" Edelgard asked of her.

"I am at your command, Lady Edelgard!" Monica exclaimed, all but too happy to do the princess's bidding. She then activated her own HLKMF crystal. A shower of red ribbons exploded from the crystal and formed around Monica like a cocoon. Flames then disintegrated the ribbons, leaving behind a form that left Lelouch speechless. The others were used to it by now in training. Lelouch hadn't seen it until now.

Is…is that a ballet skirt? The young Britannian thought, perplexed.

Monica's HLKMF offered no armor, instead opting for a cape, a skirt, long red leggings that seemed to be made of similar "fabric" as what coated Milly's Yellow Panther, white gloves and instead of a helmet, a protective tiara and white domino mask sat upon Monica's head and face, projecting an invisible shield around it. She looked less like she was in a powerful knightmare frame and more like she had just put on a magical girl cosplay from a Japanese cartoon. Codename: Red Sorceress

Gilbert was more amazed than confused. "I've never seen an HLKMF quite like that one, young Monica."

"Oh? You like it? I stylized the frame to use fabric-based hard light as opposed to armor. With less armor, I can really improve the power of my magic, sacrificing defense for offense and—"

"Monica!" Edelgard shouted at her for rambling.

"Right! Explanations later!" Monica exclaimed. She cracked her knuckles as screens started projecting themselves from the slits of her mask. As enemies charged forward, Monica seemed to "lock on" to all of them. She held her hands up, crossing them over near, but not quite at the wrists in an X-pattern. Fire magic channeled through her palms. "Get ready!" She then thrust her hands forward. "Bolganone!"

Fire erupted from the ground and then spread outward like a wave of volcanic death, annihilating the entire enemy force between the Black Eagles, Gilbert and the next bend around the corner.

"Hubert, you have the next one," Edelgard told him.

"Of course, Lady Edelgard," Hubert told her. "It would be my honor."

Hubert activated his own HLKMF crystal, wrapping his body in a thick, dark cape and giving him an armor laden with spikes in anywhere that wasn't completely impractical. There were spikes on the shoulders, the sides of the legs, the chest and even small ones around the eye sockets of the helmet. Hubert's frame looked like an Iron Maiden slimmed down and procreated with a knight's plate mail and then added a classy black cape for flavoring. Codename: Imminent Demise.

As the group rounded the next corner, another rush of enemies flooded down the hallway. Hubert's frame emanated with dark magic as he prepared to annihilate the incoming enemy.

"I grant you all a painful death," Hubert declared calmly. With a snap of his fingers, dark spikes of magic jammed straight into the enemy's shoulders. Then with another snap of his fingers, and a sinister cackle, Hubert made those spikes explode rupturing internal organs for non-HLKMF laden foes, and disabling the foes of those who were.

"Too late for regrets." Lelouch quickly picked off the stragglers one by one, casting Miasma bolt after Miasma bolt, clearing the pathway.

"Expertly timed," Hubert told him.

"I'm sure you didn't need me to pick them off, but I don't show mercy," Lelouch stated.

"Neither do I," Hubert commented.

"We should almost be at the top floor," Gilbert commented. "Shall we wait for others to catch up?"

"No need," Edelgard stated, taking a crystal out of her pocket. "The last bastion of fools between us and Miklan will be mine!"

Despite having the Flame Emperor HLKMF, Edelgard still had her less powerful, but still rather sturdy school-sanctioned HLKMF. It bore a mighty tower shield, a knight's helmet, was pyrite in color, and heavily armored. It had a Heavy Infantry certification added to it. Like with the Flame Emperor frame, the shield also bore turret guns, letting Edelgard shoot while moving. Codename: Immovable Duchess

"Who's first?" She asked, rounding the corner, bearing witness to multiple enemy riflemen and women. The all shot down the staircase at Edelgard's frame, but she put up her shield to soak up the incoming fire. The cartridges bounced harmlessly off the shield. Despite being from weapons and carrying firepower that could blow grown men off their feet, Edelgard didn't budge even a centimeter. Her return fire from her own guns then blew the enemy away, two shots per enemy terrorist. The holes from the exit wounds blew their entire backs out, coating the wall and stairs behind them in blood.

"A fantastic display, Lady Edelgard," Monica told her. "Well done."

"Save the praise for our victory," Edelgard told her. "Everyone stay behind me. I shall lead us to victory!"

Lelouch and the others marched behind the trampling forward Edelgard as she acted as both their shield and weapon of choice. Anything that managed to avoid her turret fire was cut down to size with her trusty energy axe.

She doesn't let the cumbersome weight of the heavy hard light frame slow her down at all. Edelgard's quite something, Lelouch commented.

"Lelouch, I'm counting on you to finish clearing the path to Miklan so that I can conserve energy," Edelgard told him, referring to her crystal's battery.

"With pleasure!" Lelouch declared. He stood right behind Edelgard and prepared his own school sanctioned HLKMF. Although not quite as powerful as the Zero Matrix, Lelouch had managed to upgrade the Dark Beast into a more powerful version of itself. Carapace-like bucklers covered the arms and a pair of insectoid wings now sprouted from the back. The skeletal frame now began to take on a more beetle-like appearance, giving the Dark Beast a more demonic insect type of look. Of course, it wasn't called the Dark Beast anymore. Through rigorous upgrading, Lelouch had crowned it a new name: The Skull Beetle.

Using the bucklers on his arms as amplifiers, Lelouch's Miasma bolts were greatly enhanced in their offensive power, the first shot eradicating an unaware soldier down to his singed, boney knee stumps stuck inside their boots. Although he didn't have Bolganone like Monica, rapid fire dark spikes like Hubert, or powerful turret guns like Edelgard, Lelouch's amplified magic shots, using the amplifiers attached to his forearms that doubled as shields, got the job done.

The cost-effectiveness fell more in line with what he was used to with his Zero Matrix, but had far more explosively expanding blasts. Of course the Skull Beetle lacked the Zero Matrix's agility and maneuverability, but for this mission, it got the job done.

Being cheeky, as the last enemies lay defeated in front of the final staircase, Lelouch bowed to Edelgard. "Last hostiles eliminated, your majesty."

"Oh ha ha," Edelgard said, shaking her head, knowing she'd yet to ascend the throne and knowing Lelouch was just showing off. Still, she appreciated it regardless.

With all enemies down leading to him, it was now time to confront Miklan directly. Stepping up the stairs together, Ferdinand, Edelgard, Lelouch, Linhardt, Gilbert, Monica and Hubert made their way to confront the rebellious leader.

Miklan stood at the far end of the top, single roomed floor of Conrad Tower, surrounded by electric torches. He stood with the fabled Lance of Ruin gripped in his right hand and wore protective padding like a Faerghusian soldier would often be permitted to wear.

"Have you come here on behalf of that crest bearing fool?" Miklan demanded of the group.

"The church sent us," Edelgard said to him, approaching cautiously, but briskly, "Hand over the relic."

"I'll do no such thing. Do you have any idea what this world has forced me to do just to survive? Just to be recognized?!"

Gilbert strolled forward, "Calm yourself, Miklan Anschutz Gautier. We would prefer not to spill any more blood than we have to." He extended a peaceful hand. "Relinquish the lance, and for your men that still live, I will personally see to a lighter sentence."

"A lighter sentence? A lighter sentence?! Do you think that's what I'm even after! This damn system treats people like me no differently than the Japanese crawling under the feet of Rome! I had it all! A loving family, the best tutors money could buy, recognition! And the minute that crest-bearing fool was born, it was all stolen from me! My father would short my portions at dinner! My mother would barely register that I existed! Am I supposed to simply accept that?!"

"You could have done great things that didn't resort to terrorism!" Ferdinand shouted at him.

"And where was I supposed to go?!" Miklan shouted. "If you don't have a crest, you're considered worthless! I had to raise up my followers from nothing! You all don't know what it's like to be me!"

"I do!" Lelouch exclaimed, stepping forward. "I've been poor. I've been hungry. I know what it's like to have everything and be tossed aside into the cold, lost and forgotten. But I learned from that experience that if the world will not change, in order to change the world, there are ways to do so without looking like a raving lunatic. What you've done won't accomplish in dismantling what you're angry at. What you've done has brought us to your doorstep. You can raise an army, you can even fight with basic tactics, but your shallow minded desire for revenge clipped the wings on which you used to soar! Having a crest isn't what makes you helpless. Being helpless makes you helpless! You could have made something of yourself, but you chose to become nothing more than an angry man yelling at the world."

"Big talk from someone with a roof of their head," Miklan responded.

"There's always a way to struggle to the next dawn, but the minute you give up and turn yourself over to darkness, the minute you decide the world isn't worth saving, to make better, the minute you cast aside your humanity for the sake of petty spitefulness, that's when you lose all moral high ground to stand on."

"Ugh, listening to you two debate morals is exhausting," Linhardt complained. "Are we going to beat him senseless or what?"

"Linhardt," Monica groaned. He was not helping.

Edelgard stepped forward next to Lelouch. "Lelouch is completely correct. No one did this to you, Miklan. While the church's actions certainly did not help in limiting your choices, the choice to become a terrorist and to steal your family's relic was ultimately yours. You can cease this insanity and recognize your mistake." She slammed her shield on the floor below. "Or you can raise your weapons and force us to take back the lance. The choice is yours and yours alone."

"It's as she says, Miklan. Don't throw your life away needlessly," Gilbert requested.

"So I should throw my lot in with the church in disgrace, Gustave? Is that it?" Miklan asked contemptuously.

Gustave? Lelouch questioned, puzzled.

Hubert chuckled. "Keeping secrets, are we?" he asked Gilbert.

"What? You didn't tell them?" Miklan asked.

"My past is unrelated to my mission," Gilbert said to Miklan. His heart sank as he said, "Gustave Eddie Dominic no longer exists."

Dominic? As in Annette Fantine Dominic? It was just now that Lelouch was looking at Gilbert's passing resemblance to Annette in a significantly different light.

"Feh," Miklan scoffed. "What drivel. You abandoned life when it got too tough for you. What I've done is no different."

"What you've done is against the law, that is the difference," Ferdinand reminded him. "Sir Gilbert, give us the word and we shall crush this terrorist beneath our blades and other weapons."

Gilbert sighed deeply. "Regrettably, I must make it so. All units, attack! Prioritize the retrieval of the Lance of Ruin!"

Linhardt sighed deeply as well. "And here I was hoping we could resolve this without violence. Very well, I will hang back and patch your injuries."

"Fear not, Linhardt for an opponent such as this is my specialty. En garde!"

Ferdinand's HLKMF crystal activated and before long he was dressed like a traditional, yet heavily armored medieval knight with a long energy broadsword and a traditionally sized shield. Hard light chain mail draped over Ferdinand's plate mail with a hard light fabric tunic bearing the Adrestian coat of arms emblazoned over it. This was the pride of house aegir's heir. Codename: The Noble Standard.

Ferdinand charged in with his energy sword and met Miklan's Lance of Ruin head on. He then pulled back his sword upon being blocked and smashed his sword towards Miklan, only to be met with a shield of Miklan's own. Miklan then raised a black boot and kicked Ferdinand backward, the force skidding him along the brick laden floor. Miklan stood in his own HLKMF, Lance of Ruin in one hand, shield in the other.

Miklan's frame was onyx in color with jagged, spikey bits winding out of the knees and shoulders like demonic horns that appeared to be decaying through centuries of erosion. He had a helmet on that resembled a Styracosaurus. The eyes glowed red, but the Lance of Ruin did not.

"Ferdinand, be careful! A hero's relic is dangerous and unstable in the hands of a non-crest user!" Monica warned him.

"All the more reason we should rush over there and help him!" Edelgard shouted. "Come on!"

Edelgard charged forward to give Ferdinand a hand, her shield smashing into Miklan and knocking him over. She then opened fired with her turret shield as Monica and Hubert bombarded Ferdinand with dark and fire magic.

Something's wrong, Lelouch thought. This feels too easy.

"FROZEN LANCE!"

Miklan leapt out of the explosion caused by Monica and Hubert's magic attacks and slammed the ground, causing bloody red icicles to erupt from the ground. Edelgard and Ferdinand dodged in opposite directions.

Frozen lance isn't supposed to have any alterations, even from a hero's relic. Why is the ice all bloody? Lelouch thought.

Frozen lance was an energy lance technique that used water molecules in the atmosphere and froze them using the body's inner magic to make ice spikes. It shouldn't be possible to make the ice red and bloody the way Miklan's had just become.

"TEMPEST LANCE!" Harsh winds blew at Edelgard, ejected off the tip of the Lance of Ruin. And that was when Lelouch saw blood dripping from Miklan's gauntlet as the winds blowing off the lance had a red tint to them.

"Miklan! You need to drop the Lance of Ruin! Your body can't handle it!" Lelouch warned.

"Shut up, you dumb brat! You have no idea how long I've yearned for this power! Now that I have it, I won't relinquish it so easily! But I know I'm no saint, so when you get to hell…" Miklan declared as the Lance of Ruin caught fire, "Tell them to make some room! GLOWING EMBER!"

A blood colored, rampaging fireball let loose towards Lelouch, forcing him to dodge out of the way as it smashed into the wall and shattered the brick, passing through into the skies beyond.

Lelouch checked the vital signs on Miklan's HLKMF. Its stats were high, as to be expected of a frame synced with a Hero's Relic, but it was rapidly decreasing in energy output at a rate of 0.05% per second.

No frame drops energy that quickly. The average is 0.0001 per second and all other drops are caused by physical strain and battle damage. This is a 500 times increase in deterioration. What the hell is going on? Lelouch would have to hold off on getting his answer as he and the others continued to combat Miklan in close and distant quarters.

Monica's fireball was deflected by Miklan's shield. Edelgard's axe attack was met by the Lance of Ruin. And Miklan's armor withstood Ferdinand's sword swing as he used energy projected from the lance to push both of his armored foes away and give him some breathing room.

Lelouch let magic flow through him and proceeded to concentrate.

If the frame is deteriorating at such a rate, then it should be crippled in areas where its been struck much more easily. All I have to do is tap into the critical magic phenomenon and a well-placed strike will eliminate the threat, Lelouch deduced.

Gilbert seemed to notice what Lelouch was doing. Is he attempting to tap into the critical magic phenomenon? I wasn't aware there was a soul alive that should be able to tap into it willingly. It's supposed to be impossible. Even the most skilled of soldiers can only land one critical magic or critical strike every four attacks. The boy doesn't even appear to have a crest.

Just remember what you learned reading old books. It's all about timing, Lelouch told himself. Feel the flow of magic around you. Concentrate. Concentrate.

Lelouch watched everything around him as if time moved in slow motion as sweat ran down the center of his forehead. He could see every bend, every subtle movement, every muscle twitch as though seconds were minutes. And then, with a deep breath, he entered some kind of peak concentrative state. He paused, letting the magic flow through his body like a hula hoop until, finally, he saw the slightest bend and flow of magic from Monica's flames.

Now.

Rearing back his arm, red lightning flowed alongside Lelouch's arm movement. He was all but ready to land a crippling blow.

"Prepare for the end!" Lelouch declared. "Swarm Zeta!"

A flurry of insects ejected from Lelouch's palm as they all dove at Miklan, accompanied by bolts of red lightning. The swarm of locust-sized projectiles smashed into Miklan's frame like machine gun fire and ultimately smashed the frame to smithereens, causing Miklan to flip through the air like he'd flubbed a cartwheel and plant face-down, nose first onto the ground.

"Surrender!" Edelgard exclaimed. "You have lost."

Miklan, however, got up, holding the right side of his face with his left hand. "Not bad for a bunch of spoiled, rotten children," he panted. However, as he moved his hand away, he shocked Edelgard's group with what they saw.

"What…what is…?"

"Ooh! What's wrong with his face?" Monica exclaimed.

"I don't know, but we should subdue him quickly!" Ferdinand exclaimed. "Edelgard, give me a hand!"

Indeed, Miklan's face was distorted on the right side of his head. It was black and chitinous and his iris was all yellow, sclera red and bloodied.

Lelouch had a pretty good theory and he let everyone know about it. "It's the lance! His body can't control the energy contained within and it's causing him to go out of control! We need to get the lance away from him before—"

Suddenly the crest stone of the Lance of Ruin began to bleed with a tar-like substance that crawled down the lance and pierced Miklan's right hand, ejecting out of his right upper arm before crawling up and consuming the arm entirely. "Huh? What the hell?!" Miklan shouted, trying to rip the substance off with his bare left hand, only for the substance to jump to that hand too.

"What…is happening?" Hubert wondered aloud, even he seemed at a loss.

"We are too late," Gilbert stated. "The Goddess has seen right fit to punish Miklan for his folly."

The tar began to consume Miklan's body whole as he began to struggle against it.

"Seems a bit extreme for a mere punishment," Edelgard said, eyes wide as saucers. Her surprise was less about the idea of divine punishment and more the sheer strangeness of what she was witnessing.

The Lance of Ruin's crest stone gave off a horrific noise and an eerie red flash, prompting Lelouch to take aim at it with a focused Miasma bolt projected off his finger. However, the tar-like mass surrounding the lance was too thick and the bolt didn't so much as penetrate it.

Miklan screamed so loudly that everyone who could came running from Bernadetta's group to Miklan's allies to Petra's group on the floors below. When everyone stood before the writhing, now black cocooned Miklan, they were just as confused as the group that initially witnessed it.

Suddenly, the cocoon burst, giving life to a strange, ugly behemoth of a monster. Its body had scales like stone and it had spikes going up and down its back like a desert lizard. It had two rows of sharp teeth that would make a great white blush and two piercing red eyes that appeared to travel between a series of six sockets, three on each side.

Bernadetta covered her mouth and stared at the floor. "I'm gonna throw up."

Clara hugged her, sweating profusely, scared out of her mind.

"What…what is that?" Rolo asked, staring up at it.

"I don't know, but we need to be bringing it down!" Petra shouted.

"Petra's right!" Ferdinand shouted. "Don't be intimidated. We need to work together and—"

Ferdinand was suddenly swat into the wall by the swift pivot of the massive creature as its tail smashed into his frame.

"Ferdie!" Dorothea called out in concern.

Linhardt, wide awake now, darted over to him, to check on him. "He'll be just fine. Nothing broken, but he's quite discombobulated." He began to heal him with magic. "Easy there, Ferdinand. It won't do for the future Prime Minister to be felled by a mere beast."

Ferdinand groaned in pain, body sore all over.

The beast drooled that icky black tar substance all over the floor, stood up on its hind legs and roared to the ceiling, timed perfectly with a flash of lightning outside the nearest window. It was bigger than an elephant and appeared to have as much agility as a jaguar or tiger.

"We should exercise extreme caution," Gilbert stated.

"Screw that! If we punch it in the face enough, we can bring it down!" Caspar shouted and charged forward.

"Caspar, no!" Dorothea shouted, watching as Caspar's frame was slammed underfoot by the massive black beast, chewed on and then hurled at the wall by the beast's jaws.

Caspar's frame disabled as the boy pushed up on his knee, sore all over. "Come on…round…bleh…" He fell over, body too exhausted to keep fighting.

"It took our Caspar and Ferdinand like they were nothing," Monica said, shaking her head, eyes wide, her mind still in disbelief at the carnage. "How do we win against this thing?"

"There's always a way," Edelgard stated. "Defeat comes only when you give up!"

Lelouch continued to gaze at this monster with surprise, but little in the sense of panic. Although it was shaped differently and much stronger, the beast reminded him of a book he found in Abyss about wrangling and killing dragons. Despite how silly the guide seemed, considering that Lelouch was taking into account the idea of one day having to fight beasts like The Immaculate One and the Wind Caller, he had begun running drills with the Ashen Wolves, using a hard light dummy for practice. He was likely the only person present who had any idea how to bring this thing down. Yet, if he did so, would it blow his cover, or would it make him a genius.

"All of you get behind me!" Gilbert shouted. "Run and return to the ship! I shall stand and—"

Gilbert was cut off by the beast slapping him with its tail, just as Gilbert put on his HLKMF, and was sent into and through several inches of wall.

Caution to the wind then.

"Edelgard, I can get us out of this, but you need to completely trust me," Lelouch said to her.

"Uh…" Edelgard uttered, gazing at Lelouch as he walked up next to her.

"You have a plan? To fight that thing?" Hubert asked in disbelief.

"I do indeed."

"Hmph, consider me skeptical, but as we have no better options, as long as it doesn't involve charging blindly into the fray, I believe we are all ears," Hubert told him. "Of course, the decision is ultimately yours, Lady Edelgard."

Trust in someone else. The idea was alien to Edelgard, so used to always being in control of the situation. Hubert could tell from the way her body had a slight, hesitant shake to it. Her way or no way, that was the path she'd been marching toward. Yet, she could tell, Lelouch wanted what she wanted right now: to make it out of here alive, and see the next tomorrow.

She could see a strong, determined gaze that Lelouch was giving to this monstrosity. Layers had been peeled back on the calm school boy and the tactician determined to live to see tomorrow was exposed for those around him to see. Lelouch could feel it himself. For the first time in seven years, he was pushed forward by nothing more than the will to live, something he thought he'd lost forever when he saw his mother's body.

And, for the first time in four years, Edelgard could feel the same. She stomped her foot onto the brick and slammed her tower shield down in front of her. "I shall follow your lead."

"Very well then," Lelouch said and then shouted. "All units, form behind me!"

From that moment on, Lelouch was in control of the situation. "Petra," he called out and remotely uploaded an attack pattern to her HLKMF's interface. It was in the shape of hourglass that used two parallelograms above and below the triangles that typically made up the pattern. "Start from forelimb on your left and follow the flow of the pattern accordingly by attacking the inside legs. If the monster moves, stay with pattern relative to its position."

"I shall be swifter than wind!" Petra shouted and charged forward with a loud, "KREEEEEYAAAAAAAAH!" She passed by monster's inside, right forearm and slashed at it before moving to its underbelly towards its back left hindleg.

"Bernadetta, activate your HLKMF and just start firing at whatever you can get a direct hit on!"

"What?! Me!"

"Do you want to live to see tomorrow or not?!" Lelouch shouted, not a shred of sympathy visible on his face.

"I…I DO!" Bernadetta shouted as she activated her frame. Bernadetta's frame was a quadrupedal frame resembling a purple grizzly bear. It came mounted with missile launchers on the back, sides of the back, and the sides of the limbs. Codename: Grizzly Fortress. She then just started shrieking and firing at anything that had more than an 85% accuracy check.

Now with fire upon it from all directions, the massive monster didn't really know what to attack first. The missiles hurt, but so did the attacks coming from below and around its legs.

"Now that we have stable DPS, we can start cracking open a weak spot. Monica! Hubert! Engage the right flank! Launch all attacks at its ribs!" Lelouch requested.

"En-Engaging!" Monica shouted.

"This had better work!" Hubert hissed as he and Monica began pelting the monster from its right side with fireballs and miasma. Its carapace and stony scales began to crack from the constant bombardment.

It's working, Lelouch thought. Limit its movement, expose a weak point with constant pressure and then…

"How strong is that frame?" Lelouch asked Edelgard.

"What do you need me to do?" Edelgard asked.

"I need you to grab the tail and flip it," Lelouch stated.

"A bold plan," Edelgard commented. "How do you propose I get behind it?"

"Clara! Rolo! Dorothea! Give Edelgard covering fire! Keep its attention on us!" Lelouch shouted.

"But I thought Hubert and Monica were the aggro!" Rolo exclaimed.

"No, they're for something else," Lelouch commented. "Now follow my orders!"

"I'm with you!" Dorothea shouted. "Thoron!"

Rolo began firing his rifle non-stop.

"Blizzard!" Clara shouted, launching ice attacks at the behemoth.

"Miasma!" Lelouch shouted.

The monster roared at the trio of mages, plus Rolo and slowly began to stomp forward, causing Bernadetta to completely freak out.

Edelgard thought to shout, but then she realized exactly what Lelouch had set up. She was reminded of one of her chess games where he'd drawn her attention to one side of the board after capturing a crucial piece. Edelgard had ended up completely blindsided when pieces on the other side of the board began attacking her. Tunnel vision at its finest.

I see now. Lelouch… Edelgard trailed off and then smiled, You're brilliant! She exclaimed to herself. While the Immovable Duchess was by no means quick, it wasn't a tank on treads either. Edelgard began storming forward around the left side of the black beast as it got closer and closer to Lelouch's group. The quarter backed up closer and closer to Bernadetta until the black beast decided to just swat down at Lelouch's group, but there was a problem.

That problem came in the form that its arm suddenly wasn't able to reach. Edelgard suddenly had a firm grip on the beast's tail. It looked back, only for its red eyes to shrink somewhat as Edelgard lifted the entire heavy monstrosity off the ground with her Immovable Duchess. Turning her body to her left, she slammed the monster onto its undamaged side, exposing the part of the beast that Hubert and Monica had been endlessly bombarding.

This gave Lelouch a critical opening, one that Edelgard was all too happy to capitalize on herself.

As Lelouch floated over the downed, wounded monster, Edelgard was running along its damaged right side with her frame's heavy boots, axe poised to strike its weak spot.

"I'll strike you down!"

"Checkmate!"

Dual Critical Strike!

Landing a critical magic empowered Miasma into the open wound, Edelgard added injury to injury by smashing her energy axe where Lelouch's magic attack had struck, causing a ripple effect that shattered the black beast's entire stone scaly armor, leaving it more vulnerable than ever.

However, it then got up and roared, spinning rapidly and shaking everyone near it away. The pressure wave of the rapid spinning caused some of Bernadetta's missiles to be deflected into the ceiling, causing it to crumble slightly. Debris rained down around the beast as it roared.

"Well that's just great, we've only succeeded in making it angrier!" Dorothea shouted.

"No, look carefully!" Edelgard exclaimed. "Its armor has been compromised. It's extremely vulnerable to all forms of attack now!"

"Pick a spot and start attacking!" Lelouch shouted. "Don't let up for even a second!"

"You don't have to tell me twice!" Monica shouted. "Bolganone!"

"Thoron!" Dorothea declared.

"Blizzard!" Clara added.

"Banshee!" Hubert roared.

"Miasma!" Lelouch yelled.

Attacked from all sides by magic attacks, the black beast howled in pain as it reached up onto its hind legs.

"Petra, give me a hand!" Edelgard shouted, realizing the monster only had two points of contact with the ground.

"I will be giving you both!" Petra declared as she and Edelgard charged forward.

"For the Empire!" Edelgard roared, both hands on her axe.

"For Brighid! For strength!" Petra added.

The two warriors cut across the monsters legs in an X-formation slashing and bloodying its hind limbs causing it to fall over onto its back.

"Now, Berandetta!" Lelouch shouted.

"Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Bernadetta shrieked, firing everything she could find on her controls at the monsters exposed stomach, causing devastating damage.

The monster flopped over onto legs and roared, bleeding directly onto the floor. It began to slobber.

"We're not done yet," Lelouch denoted. "But we're getting there."

"Cutting Gale!"

A series of bladed wind blasts smashed into the face of the Black Beast, causing its head to whip to one side.

Lelouch was surprised by the sudden wind magic. Who?

Everyone turned to see the otherwise sleepy Linhardt standing near Bernadetta's frame, hands glowing with wind magic. "What? You didn't expect me to simply nap until it was all over, did you? I couldn't nap right now if I tried anyway. I suppose I can lend a hand, since you all seem to need all the help you can get."

"Don't think this means we'll let you sleep during class without a fuss," Hubert commented with a smirk.

"No, I'm well aware of the consequences of my actions," Linhardt responded. "However, if my only options are die at the hands of a monster, or fight, I will fight I suppose. If I die while sleeping, I can't sleep anymore, now can I."

"I…can't say I admire that logic or reasoning, but we appreciate the help nonetheless, Lin," Dorothea told him.

"How might I be of use?" Linhardt asked Lelouch.

"How good is your aim?" Lelouch asked.

"Now you want me to aim?" Linhardt complained. "Just fighting is exhausting."

Lelouch growled loud enough to be heard behind his frame's helmet.

"All right, all right, no need to get all sour. What do you need?" Linhardt asked.

"Clip its spikes. It's one of its last lines of defense," Lelouch stated.

"I suppose I can try, but I'll need time. And protection," Linhardt commented.

"Edelgard, cover him and don't let him get hit," Lelouch stated. "Bernadetta. Rolo. Suppressive fire!"

"Right!" Bernadetta exclaimed as her Grizzly Fortress roared.

"Count on us!" Rolo declared.

"What about the rest of us?" Monica asked.

"Just keep it busy and help expose the spikes," Lelouch declared. "Keep wearing it down!"

Magic attacks flew out like firecrackers as Edelgard escorted Linhardt around the black beast, his Cutting Gale slicing the spikes straight off its back, causing a greater discomfort to the already wounded monster. It seemed to lose the will to keep moving about, its movements becoming sluggish.

"Is it…getting tired?" Linhardt questioned.

"The damage its sustaining must be taking a great deal on its biology. Now that it can barely move…"

"It's completely defenseless!" Hubert exclaimed.

"Finish it off!" Lelouch shouted.

"We shall!" Edelgard shouted. "Together!"

Loud screaming was suddenly heard as Caspar was seen running straight into the monster's face, energy gauntlets alight with power. "You think you can just throw me against a wall, huh?"

Another energy fist pounded the other side of the monster's exhausted face. "A noble does not yield…until his last breath!"

"Caspar! Ferdie!" Dorothea exclaimed, surprised.

"Sorry to keep you guys waiting. I was watching, but I could barely move, but I'm not just gonna let you have all the fun! TAAAAAAAAKE THIS!" Caspar shouted and began wailing on the beast's teeth with his fists.

Lelouch smiled. The Black Eagles are incredible. It's bittersweet, he thought as he watched his class wail on the monster, they will one day become a threat to the Ashen Wolves.

As the Beast began to pant in exhaustion, Edelgard charged towards it, winding up her axe. "We shall prevail!"

With a leaping cleave of her axe, Edelgard cut right through the monster's head, cleaving it from the neck.

A loud howl could be heard as she dealt the killing blow, the black tar that seemed to make up the monster's body blowing off it in a myriad of different directions before disintegrating spontaneously. The white, boney body of the beast remained behind as it too slowly shriveled into dust, leaving behind only Miklan Gautier and the Lance of Ruin.

Monica, who was the closest, ran over to check on him, only to shake her head. Miklan was already dead. She picked up the Lance of Ruin.

"Are you sure that thing's safe?" Rolo asked, apprehensive.

"I have a crest, so I'll be fine," Monica said, choking up on the shaft of the weapon.

"Still, I mean, look at that thing, it looks like some of the spikes are…pulsating," Clara pointed out.

"What?! Ewwwwwwwwww!" Bernadetta exclaimed.

"Regardless of its design, we should return it to Garreg Mach as soon as possible," Lelouch commented.

"I concur," Ferdinand said. "We fought well and we all prevailed, more importantly, we're all going home alive. Let us collect Sir Gilbert and be off."

"You'll hear no arguments from me," Linhardt quipped.

"Let us be off then," Hubert agreed, "No doubt the archbishop will be overjoyed to give us a flower circle for a job well done," he joked.

Dorothea actually laughed at this. "I don't know about any of you, but I could go for a spa treatment after that."

"Yes, verily! A dipping in the sauna is perfect for the skin of one's health after a harsh battle," Petra agreed.

With this, the Black Eagles began to shuffle out. However, Lelouch lingered, staying near Miklan's corpse.

Edelgard noticed this, watching him. Lelouch picked up some dust from some of the debris that had fallen and then cast it over the corpse before walking towards her.

"What was that for? That gesture you just did," she said, perplexed.

"It's a custom greatly predating Adrestia, going back to ancient Greece," Lelouch said. They walked together as he explained. "I doubt Miklan will receive a grave of his own, but…I sympathized with his plight. If I were a man of less fortitude, I may have turned to the same cynical, thieving worldview he had. I wish for his spirit to rest in peace. No matter what he had done, he didn't deserve what fate had brought him. So, I placed dirt over him in place of a full grave. In ancient Greece, to cover a corpse meant that you were showing respect to the spirit of the man who died. When the enemies of a country perished, often they were left to rot, but some empires covered the corpses of their foes, respecting their enemies that had fallen in battle."

"I see, you are softer on the inside that I realized, but…had I known the custom…I would have done it myself," Edelgard stated.

Lelouch looked directly at Edelgard instead of straight ahead. He hadn't expected to hear that.

"What? Is it so strange that I would respect someone trodden down by life? An heiress can have hardships just as much as a commoner, you know," Edelgard said to Lelouch.

"Like what?" Lelouch asked her.

For a moment, Edelgard contemplated backpedaling out of this conversation. However, she'd already placed her life in Lelouch's hands once already today, what was one more time. "I…know what it is like…to be hungry as well."

Lelouch raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"There was a time in my childhood…where I didn't have control of my life at all, in the worst way. Do you recall our brief conversation moons ago, when I mentioned the Insurrection of the Seven?"

"Vaguely," Lelouch responded. Of course I do.

"The Insurrection it…my family…I lost so much during it. All I could do was scream and watch the people I loved die. Today, I thought that tragedy was going to repeat. For a moment, I thought I would be a sole survivor, without even Hubert or Monica to walk alongside me, cursed to a life I never chose for myself, alone. But you…you didn't lose heart or give up." Edelgard shook her head. "I envy that kind of conviction."

Lelouch turned his head way from Edelgard and back to looking forward. "If you have lost as much as you claim, then there isn't much difference between us in terms of loss. However, you should be more than capable of finding the inner strength combat impossible odds. When we stood against that monstrosity that Miklan had become, I didn't panic because I knew that everyone in that room would listen to what I had to say, that we would make it out of there alive, together. What held you back today, Edelgard, wasn't conviction, but trust in others. Perhaps on some level you feel scared and isolated."

"P-Preposterous!" Edelgard stuttered, blushing. "I trust Hubert and Monica just fine!"

"Well, I can't say I'm an expert on human psychology," Lelouch said with a smirk. "But…" He turned and offered Edelgard his hand. "I must say, you and I make a valiant team."

Edelgard blushed a bit more. With a slight bit of caution, her gloved hand slipped into Lelouch's. She gripped it tightly.

"Careful of the stairs," Lelouch said, heading down first.

"Oh…r-right…the stairs," Edelgard stated. Her mind had been somewhere else entirely.

After reaching the bottom, Lelouch expected Edelgard to let go, but her grip remained firm. "Um, Edelgard, we're on the bottom floor."

"Do you mind if I hold your hand for…" she said as she stepped shoulder to shoulder with Lelouch, "Just a bit longer." She blushed, turning her head towards the right, away from Lelouch. "..Your hand is warm."

Now it was Lelouch's turn to blush, turning his head to the left. "Uh…s-sure."

Hand in hand, the two ambitious royals walked back to the ship. Although, it was hard to do, Edelgard's grip separated from Lelouch, long before they caught up with the others. Upon getting into the transport, Edelgard made her way onto the bridge, just as the sky was clearing up. A ray of light shined down on Conrad Tower as the transport took off back towards Garreg Mach.

Edelgard gazed down at her left hand, still awash with the warmth from Lelouch's grip. She then shook her hand, wiped her glove down with a cloth and headed for her private quarters, the clacking of her boots, echoing down the hallway.

---

(A/N: Reach for my hand! I'll soar away! Into the dawn! Oh I wish I could stay! In cherished halls! In peaceful days! I fear the edge of dawn, knowing time betrays!

And that'll do it for the Conrad Tower arc. Fire Emblem Three Houses fans know what's coming next. Strictly Code Geass fans do not, so shush. Next arc is gonna be a bit of a doozy as we stumble into it like a wrecking ball rolling down the stairs. I hope I might have the next chapter out soon. If not, until next time, as always, from all of me, to all of you, let your hearts stay human and your wrath draconic. Ja ne!)